Not so sure
by JayFury
Summary: A sci-fi story about a teenager who is discovering what he wants to do with his life. the year is 2023
1. The real world

I'm trying something new, and hoping it gets somewhere. Please do tell me what you think.

 **MY HOME (Chp 1)**

Having to go through emotional pain is very sobering. I was no longer a teenager, I was growing into a man and after that I will be an old man. I am not able to take care of myself financially yet but I have to, fast, because soon I will be leaving school. As a young man, I was supposed to take care of my old man and I want to take care of him. I didn't care what my mother thought but I had to. I was turning 18 and finally having to decide what I will do.

Growing up I was taught by him. Everything I know is knowledge from him. He has been my father when I needed a father, and a friend, when no one would be. Losing him would break me completely. And that's why I want to stay with him as long as possible.

With only two weeks to decide what I will do with my life, I wasn't sure what it was. When I was young I dreamed of becoming a doctor. As a 14 year old teen I wanted to be an engineer, but now, almost a man, I don't even know what I want any more. Perhaps just providing for the family will be enough.

I lived in a sleepy town somewhere in Africa. I had a pretty good education and all. The year was 2023 and science had made many advances, especially in transportation. Flying cars were finally able to fly with the efficiency of a bird. Teleportation was now science fact. Space was just a tourist destination. Life seemed to be going great, until things changed.

I was looking for work all round the city, but no one was hiring. I went home every day for one week, feeling useless. I wanted to give up and just start work as a farmer or something on my own, but I told myself to give it one last try.

I went into town early in the morning. I had been through almost the whole town, and the only place left to search was the sports area of the town where bike tools, bikes, balls and anything concerning sports was sold.

I started with a shop that had a sign reading "New Things." I walked in. it had the smell of old shops. Everything looked old, even the man at the counter. I walked up to him and asked.

"Morning sir, I was wondering if you were offering work, any kind of work." I said, hoping I asked as politely as possible.

He looked at me as if he hadn't heard a word I said. Then he opened his mouth, which looked like tape being removed from a surface.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I am offering work. But the work I'm offering will change or even save this earth as we know it. Are you up for it?"

His words puzzled me, and I was just about to leave when he spoke again.

"You will be getting paid about $10 000 per week, and that's if you do good work." He said, in a serious tone.

I wasn't ready to believe him but he spoke again, it almost seemed as though he wanted me to take the job.

"Before you start you will receive a small amount of $500 to sustain you through the week." He said.

I really needed a job and this seemed like the only place I would get one before I complete school.

"How do I know you are not pulling my leg?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I have the $500 right here." He pulled out a bunch of fifties.

A famous old saying that my grandpa used to tell me was 'If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't" and it was ringing like church bells in my head, but I still thought to myself, _what was I to lose?_ so I walked up to him and got the money from his hands, counted it to make sure, and put it on the table.

"So what am I supposed to do?" I asked, folding my arms forming a knot.

"As I said, it's a world changing Job. But I have to know if you accept before I tell you exactly what it is."

"Ok then, I accept." I said.

"I was hoping you would say that because you really will enjoy this." He said, then walked to the back of the shop and motioned for me to follow him.

The first thing I saw when I entered the store room was boxes, a lot of them. Then the man walked to a shelf. He pulled out his phone and typed in something, and then the shelf moved back and into the wall, he walked through the wall.

The wall was still visible but somehow like wavy and slightly transparent. I was spooked and thought it was one of those future tech agents in those sci-fi movies. I followed him into the wall.

I was in a bright room with all sorts of computers and machines. He was standing at what seemed like a command point.

He then pulled at his neck and the old skin I was looking at was peeled off revealing a younger person underneath the mask. At this point I thought I was being punked or something, but I couldn't see any cameras.

"We've been monitoring you, CJ. Out of all the possible matches, you performed better than them all. I know you have no idea what is happening but you will soon."

"Please tell me I'm being punked." Was all I could say. I couldn't wait to tell grandpa all about what I was seeing.

"Who would spend this much money just to punk you?" he asked, and he had a point.

"Start explaining…. What is all this, and why am I the best, and who are the other matches, and…."

"Woow…. Hold your horse's kid. In time, you will understand, but for now all I have to show you is this." He said.

He pressed a button and an image of some sort of energy sphere floating appeared. It was swirling and twisting and turning as if it was in zero gravity. My jaw just dropped.

"What you see there, is a portal to another dimension. You can call it 'parallel earth' or Pearth."

 **It's a start. The next update will be in this week. Just wait.**


	2. Orientation

So sorry that it took so so long to update, but life happened and I had another writer's block. So here I am, back and ready to write.

Orientation

My mind was blown. Just when I thought I was going to work as a janitor in a secret base, he showed me the portal.

a few minutes of telling me how they managed to stabilize the portal and what they had been doing, I felt slightly dizzy and sat down. Even dozzing a bit. Not that science didn't interest me. He just had a way with words that could make a hyper kid drop in a minute.

"As you know, humanity is heading to the micro nuclear energy era. But as always they are neglecting the effects of using that type of energy.

We had to find a way to escape the impending doom heading for humanity and Earth as a whole. We tried sending a robot through the portal and back, but it came back as molten metal. After a bit of testing we found that only a certain DNA type can go through and back without being roasted. That's where you come in." He turned to face me.

"Wow. So you are saying only I can go through the portal?" I asked.

"Well, not you alone and not yet. We still don't know if you will come back just alright or even come back at all. We have only tested this on blood samples and fruits. Never a living organism." His eyes told a different story. I didn't know if I could trust him yet.

"Gross... But what makes you think I'm willing to risk my life to go to some place I've never been and probably come back changed or worse. No amount of money can make me do it." I said, tightening my fists to make my point clear.

"Chris, we are not forcing anyone to do anything, and it is for the sake of humanity. If we don't leave this planet to recuperate, we may just end up killing it. If we can send even just two of you to another place we already have an assurance that humanity will continue but we are trying to make it possible for everyone to go through."

This time he was telling the truth. His eyes where locked onto mine which made me even more uncomfortable and I felt a bit red at what he was saying but still kept a straight face.

"Ok then, where are the others?" I asked.

"You will meet them tomorrow... Right now you need to go home and think about all this. Make sure you are ready to do this mentally. If you have any questions, just give me a call. Get back here by seven in the morning."

As soon as he was done talking he handed me a paper with his number on it and the door opened up and the store room was visible. Before I left I could see a coat on a hanger with a name tag reading 'JEFF' but I didn't ask if it was his.

The walk back home was cold and quiet, just what I needed. It was already night which surprised me because I entered the shop at noon. Time could not have passed so quickly. I felt a bit dizzy again but the cool breeze cleared my head.

I wondered what Grandpa would think. He would probably disapprove, and I wouldn't want to go against his word.

Maybe I shouldn't tell him anything. It would be best if he thought I had a job but not know what it really was.

"grandpa I'm home, found a job today..." I said.

Found him sleeping on the couch. I pulled a blanket from the closet and covered him. I started walking towards my room when he spoke.

"I've told you many times to just wake me. I can walk to the bedroom just fine. Now what's this I hear of you finding a job, or was I just dreaming."

"yeah... You weren't dreaming... " I said, scratching the back of my neck "... I did find a job, but I'll have to find out what the job requires me to do."

"so you accepted a job that you have no idea what they want from you... Might as well sell your two kidneys..." he said, getting up and stretching. 'crack... Crack' "oow"

"and you wonder why I let you sleep in that couch... But grandpa trust me with this one, it is legit." I said enthusiastically.

He looked at me long and hard. "I don't trust you son."

'no one does. And I hoped that of all people, you would. ' I thought to myself.

"but I do. all I ask is that you understand."

"OK Chris... they do say that experience is the best teacher." he said before leaving the room.

What he said made sense, it was as good as selling my kidneys. But I was already paid some money and it seemed legit. I just had to see where this was going.


End file.
